What age of child needs a SAHM more?

[User37652]

If you have experience with children of different ages, at which ages would you say it was important to be at home more? I am trying to plan my life out after being at home for a few years but my children are still small and I don’t know what ages they will need me to be around more. Eg do you think it is more important to be doing school pick up and tea time when they’re in infants or to be at home for them in years 7-8-9? Any advice or experiences welcome :)

My kids had a parent at home or a nanny upto the end of ks2 but I have to say I quit my job to do some consulting so I've been at home a lot more and have found they've really appreciated me being around even though they're now doing gcses and a-levels - being able to provide emotional support during some tricky stages (exam stress, first break up etc) has been invaluable and they've been honest in saying they've appreciated it more than when they were little.

Building your career when they are young so you have the seniority for flexibility in the teen years is a really useful thing to have done. SAHM is a massive step back for any woman.

Building your career when they are young so you have the seniority for flexibility in the teen years is a really useful thing to have done.

That's exactly what I've done, and it's worked really well. Ironically, the flexibility suits me more now than when they were younger, childcare is much more readily available when they're younger.

Conversely, DH and I have always worked full time and didn’t use any regular childcare.

I didn’t grow up with a SAHP and my dad was around a lot more than my mum.

DH is home a lot more than I am (I work away half the month). There’s nothing I can do that he can’t.

Super kid dependent. My son is really independent and is happy staying busy with after school club and endless football and all sorts of things. My daughter needs me more and always has.

I've always worked full time as has my husband but we flexi work so we each always had an afternoon with the kids. Now we work hybrid so are around more often which is really helpful now that my daughter is in high school.

I’ve never been a SAHM but have worked flexibly and am in a position to work the hours that suite me.

I find when they are babies - ideally until they can speak. And early teens. I worked whilst my daughter was in primary school and found that I was needed the most in year 6. However I was always home by 6/7 throughout primary. By the time she was in secondary I was working from home. I think that when they are children they obviously appreciate you being at home but they get used to whatever routine you have for them - as long as you spend time with them when you are back and make memories - weekends have always been family time for me. Whereas as teens my daughter is always messaging me and seems to really pay attention to when I come back home in a way she never used to when she was younger. As many have said they are very emotionally needing - that plus the drama with phones and the digital space - it’s almost better to be around.

Id defo retrain whilst in primary. Work hard. And get yourself in a position where you can be more flexible by they time they are in secondary.

edited to fix a typo